


Truth will out

by robron_til_the_end



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M, seb learns the truth, serial killer lachlan, very seb heavy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 21:43:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15894702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robron_til_the_end/pseuds/robron_til_the_end
Summary: Future fic that I started on tumblr. Seb is fifteen and robron have decided it's time to tell him the truth. About Lachlan, Rebecca, the messy complicated truth. How will Seb react?One shot.





	Truth will out

Seb’s fifteen when it finally came. The letter from HMP Leeds. Robert and Aaron look at each other when it arrived, knowing just from who it was addressed to and the prison stamp on the front of it, who it would be from. It had to be from Lachlan, and he was writing to Seb? They didn’t open it (Seb had got really wound up when they’d accidentally done that last year) but both of them stared at it like it was a bomb waiting to go off. Which Robert supposed it was.

“We could say it was never delivered?” Aaron suggested, knowing it wouldn’t get them anywhere. Robert shook his head.

“Maybe…” Robert started. “Maybe it’s time we tell him the truth. All of it.” Seb was at school, they had the time to go through what they could say.

“He’s not going to take it well,” Aaron warned.

“No,” Robert said. “He never was going to, but we both knew we’d have to tell him the truth in the end. I’d rather him get our version than Lachlan’s twisted one. Even if we chucked this letter out, Lachlan will send more. It’s not like he’s short of time right now.”

“Yeah,” Aaron said, knowing he had a point.

“Plus he’s just such a good manipulator, we need to get in first,” Robert said.

“It’s easy for you to say,” Aaron said. “You’re the one he’s biologically related to. With me… he could hate me for this.”

“For what?” Robert asked, confused.

“Taking the place of his mother I guess?” Aaron said, shrugging.

“It was never like that,” Robert said.

“I know that,” Aaron said. “He doesn’t, does he?”

“Seb adores you,” Robert said. “We need to work out what to say. How to tell him all of it.”

“Yes,” Aaron agreed, and they spent the rest of the afternoon until Seb came home debating what and how to tell him, knowing this would rock Seb’s entire world. But they’d rather he found out from them, they both knew it.

* * *

 

Seb chucked his school bag down and kicked his shoes off before he’d so much as taken a breath, coming through the door. He saw both his dads sitting around the kitchen table, which was unusual, because usually the house was a busy hectic mess of people coming and going.

“Can we have a word with you, Seb?” Robert asked.

“I’m not in trouble?” Seb asked, hesitating by the door, wondering if he should make a run for it. He couldn’t think of anything drastic that he’d done lately, besides dyeing one of Moira’s cows pink with Isaac’s help. But Isaac had taken the fall for that one, and Aaron would be laughing into his mug of tea if it was that.

“No,” Aaron said. “You’re not in trouble, we promise.”

“Okay,” Seb said, moving towards the table, taking the seat between them both, eyes flicking between them. 

“We need to talk to you about… your mother, and your cousin,” Robert said heavily.

“Oh,” Seb said, finally relaxing now that he knew he wasn’t in trouble. “Why?”

“This arrived for you today,” Aaron said, shoving the letter towards Seb. He could read the prison stamp as well as anyone else. “So unless you’ve got a friend in prison you’ve not told us about, that’s from Lachlan.”

“Yeah,” Seb said, turning over the envelope. “I…” Seb bit his lip. “I do wanna know stuff, you know?” he said. “I… you and dad always sort of gloss over it all and I wanna know.”

“Yeah,” Robert said. “We think it’s time too. It’s just… not always a good story.”

“I want to know anyway,” Seb said. “I’ve known you’ve been keeping stuff from me.”

“We thought you were too young,” Aaron said. “We always planned to tell you when you were old enough.”

“Go on, then,” Seb said, looking between them both, before his eyes settled on Robert.

“Okay,” Robert said. “There’s a lot to go into, but first… your mum, she didn’t die in a car crash. That’s just what we told you.”

“Why?!” Seb snapped. “Why would you lie about that?!”

“Because Lachlan killed her,” Robert said. “When you were very young, we didn’t want to tell you that, because it felt needlessly cruel. He caused the car crash that killed your aunt Chrissie and your granddad. Your mum was in the car, and she suffered a brain injury. It meant she got confused and forgot things and she couldn’t look after you all the time. So we… me and Aaron, we took you. For about six months we shared custody of you, and then… Lachlan kidnapped her and eventually… he killed her.”

“How?” Seb asked, his voice thick. “How did he kill her?”

“Er…” Robert looked to Aaron for help, and he nodded briefly. “He strangled her.” Seb sniffed and brushed his tears away impatiently. “She loved you. She didn’t want to leave you.” Seb nodded.

“That’s not it,” Seb said looking between both men. “That’s not everything.”

“Okay,” Aaron said, seeing that Robert was struggling for words. Seb’s eyes snapped to him. “There’s not an easy way to say this, but we’re going to try. Your dad and I got married about… two months before we knew you were on the way.” It snapped into place very quickly for Seb and he whips his head around to stare at Robert.

“You cheated on dad?!” Seb shouted at Robert. “You cheated with mum?! Oh my God!”

“Seb, it’s not…” Robert had no idea how to finish that sentence, he just knew he didn’t want to lose his son. He looked unbelievably hurt that they’ve always lied to him. They just… didn’t get very stuck on the dates, they didn’t want Seb to feel like he wasn’t included or wasn’t wanted. Both Aaron and Robert had felt that throughout their childhoods and it was something they'd taken pains to avoid with Seb.

“So, I’m the result of a dirty drunken thing because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants?” Robert looks like he’s been stabbed through the chest, that’s how much it’s hurting.

“Seb, I know you’re hurting and you didn‘t expect this, but don’t speak to your dad like that,” Aaron said. “He loves you.”

“So you just let him walk all over you?” Seb asked, turning on Aaron. “Doesn’t matter who he sleeps with as long as he comes home to you at the end of the day?”

Aaron keeps his temper. Twenty years ago he wouldn’t have, but this is more important and shouting at Seb will not help anything. “I left him,” Aaron said. “After he told me about him and Rebecca, your mum, I couldn’t do it, so I left.”

“What, because I was a permanent reminder?” Seb said. He must have seen something in Robert’s face because he almost wails. They’ve never heard him make that noise before and they both looked at each other in worry.

“Why did you stay?” Seb asked Aaron. “Why did you… put up with me?”

“Seb, it’s never been that,” Aaron said. “I was upset.” He’s lessening it, because upset doesn’t cover what he went through those months, it was so much more. He didn't need to hear it, though.

“Was it an affair? How long did it go on for?” Seb asked.

“It wasn’t an affair,” Robert said. “It was once.”

“Oh, and you got so unlucky that you got stuck with me?” Seb asked. “Which ruined your marriage?!”

“No,” Robert said. “Please just listen…”

“I’ve gotta go.” Seb pushed his chair back from the table forcefully and left, Robert wincing as he slammed the door.

“Don’t,” Aaron said to Robert. “He will be okay, it’s just a shock to him. Let him get his anger out, he’ll come home.” Robert buried his head in his hands, feeling at a complete loss. The one thing he hated doing was disappointing his son. Aaron put his arms around Robert. “It was always going to be bad when we told him.”

* * *

 

Aaron knew where to find him. Up at the scrapyard, beating the hell out of some metal. Aaron had always liked this as an alternative to getting handsy with some other kid when he was upset. He didn’t want Seb to start having his own issues, so taking it out on some scrap metal was always preferable. Aaron parked and got out of the car, watching as Seb tired himself out. Aaron leant against the door of his car, waiting for Seb to come to him.

“Why did you even follow me?” Seb said.

“Because I wanted to talk to you,” Aaron said.

“You can’t expect me to be all right with this,” Seb said, throwing down the metal rod he’d been using to get his anger out.

“No, not right now, I don’t,” Aaron agreed. “Of course not.”

“Are there more?” Seb asked, looking at Aaron. “Do I have… more half brothers and sisters out there somewhere?”

That hadn’t even occurred to Aaron that he would think that. “No,” he said calmly. “No, you don’t. You’ve got Annie, but no. There‘s no one else.”

“How would you even know that?!” Seb said bitterly. “The only reason you knew about mum was because she got pregnant.”

“That’s not true,” Aaron said. “Robert… he told me he’d slept with her before we knew about you.” This was editing the truth a little, but Aaron was not going to mention the word “abortion” if it killed him.

“Why?” Seb asked.

“Because he didn’t like lying to me,” Aaron said. “At the time, things weren’t… great. I was in prison, you knew that I was there, which is why we’d had a quick rushed wedding in the first place. I understood why he’d slept with someone else. Did I like it, God no. I was insanely jealous and mad and angry at the time. But… he wasn’t cheating just to cheat. He didn‘t have to tell me, he could have lied. Rebecca, your mum, she was planning to move abroad at the time. I‘d never have known about you. Which is how I know there‘s not others, Seb. I just know your father.”

“Is this why you got Annie?” Seb asked. “A replacement for the misfit kid who doesn’t really belong?”

“Seb,” Aaron started. “No. We wanted Annie because we wanted a house full of kids, that’s it. If I’ve ever made you feel like you’re unloved, or feel like that with me and Robert is not exactly where you belong, then I’ve failed as your step dad.”

“I didn’t mean that,” Seb said softly. “This is… a shock.”

“I know,” Aaron said gently. “Look, I’ll be honest, I didn’t want you around when we first found out about you.” Seb stiffened. “I had a bad childhood, Seb. So did Robert. I would never have got back with Robert if I ever thought I’d resent you, or hate you, and be unable to cope with you. I would never put a child through that, I’d do all I could to avoid it. I hope you’ve never felt unwanted.”

“No,” Seb said. “It just hurts, though. Knowing that I was the reason that…”

“You weren’t,” Aaron said firmly. “Me and your dad… and your mum, we all… fucked up.” Seb laughed weakly at hearing his dad swear like this. “It was a bad time. But we got you, and I always want to be your step dad, even when you say you’re too old for a cuddle.” Seb smiled a little and swayed into Aaron’s body. He took the hint and held him.

“Sorry,” Seb said. “I shouldn’t have said those things. I‘m just… shocked.”

“Which is why I’m not going to take that to heart. Would you come home, give your dad a hug, tell him he’s a massive idiot and that you love him?”

“In that order?” Seb asked with a slight smile.

“Are you kidding?” Aaron said. “Calling him an idiot and telling him I love him is pretty much what our marriage is based on.” That did get a tiny laugh out of him.

“You must have hated dad at the time.”

“Yeah,” Aaron said. “I did. But now… it feels like someone else’s life. Come home.”

“I’ll walk,” Seb said, pulling his jacket close.

“But you are coming?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Promise.” Aaron looked at him and figured he was telling the truth, so he let him go. They had to trust that he’d come back to them in the end.

* * *

Robert was pacing in the kitchen, waiting for Seb. Vic was looking after Annie, they’d arranged that when the letter from the prison had come. “How was he?” Robert asked, ignoring the fact he’d asked that fifteen times since Aaron had got in.

“Better than I thought,” Aaron said. “He’ll come home. He’s just found out all of us had been lying to him for his whole life. Even by omission. He’s doing okay.”

“Right,” Robert said, nodding. Seb walked in and looked at them both.

“Er… Vic called over Annie,” Aaron said quickly, heading towards the door.

_“I’m going to kill you,”_ Robert’s look said, louder than words could and Aaron left. He’d talked to Seb on his own, now it was Robert’s turn.

“Dad,” Seb said.

“Oh good, you’re still calling me that,” Robert said, breathing out.

“You’re an idiot,” Seb said.

“Yeah,” Robert agreed.

“Can you talk me through it again?” Seb said. “Now I’m a bit… calmer.”

“Okay,” Robert said. “What do you want to know?”

“Did you love mum?”

“No,” Robert said calmly. “But we both love you. So does Aaron.”

“Okay,” Seb said. “So it was just a… It was just sex?”

“Yeah,” Robert said briefly. “Sorry, I don’t want to lie to you. We only lied because… when’s the right time to tell you all this? When you’re five or six?”

“Yeah, I get that,” Seb said. “I thought… mum was before Aaron. How long had you been with Aaron when you… with mum?”

“Erm… I met Aaron in 2014. We were… on and off for a long time, but we really gave it a proper shot from April 2016. Which meant, a little less than a year. Not that that’s any excuse.”

“Why?” Seb asked. “You’re crazy in love with dad, so why? Were you not, then?”

“I was,” Robert said. “But we… we had a rough patch. People do sometimes, it doesn’t mean I didn’t love him.” Robert sighed. “We built ourselves back up, and we’re better now. We’ve been better for a long time.”

“Do you regret it?” Seb asked.

“Oh, Seb,” Robert said. “There is no way I can answer that question.”

“So, yes,” Seb said, shoulders rising in defence.

Robert sighed. “I regret hurting Aaron,” Robert said. “I regret causing all of us so much pain because I was in pain. I regret lashing out. I do not regret you. Neither does Aaron.”

“And you know that?” he asked, disbelief colouring his voice.

“I know that,” Robert said firmly. “When er… Lachlan was worried the police were going to catch him, he shot me.” Seb’s eyes went wide. “You’ve seen the scar, in my shoulder?”

“Yeah,” Seb said.

“When… he pulled the trigger it didn’t knock me out,” Robert said. “I was conscious for the forty five minutes it took for someone to find me. I was so scared I was going to die. That I'd lose him just when we were so happy. I was scared that I was going to leave you without any parents. Then I realised I wasn’t. Aaron loves you for you.”

“When did he first start… well, liking me I guess.”

“You were maybe three months old?” Robert said. “We were both in the scrap yard and I was panicking over something, and the phone rang and then you were crying and Aaron took you. You shut up and you did this… wiggle thing in his arms, like you were just so happy to be with him. Also… it was important to me, but he didn’t look like you were causing him any pain. That was good, that was a good day. Then he went home to his boyfriend and it stopped being so good.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Git,” Robert said under his breath. “Alex. I hated him on principle.” 

Seb laughed. “I’ve not  seen you jealous.”

“It’s not a good look on me,” Robert said. “Trust me.”

Seb smiled, but it faded. “I don’t like thinking of you cheating on dad with mum,” he said. “I’ve got no idea where that leaves me.”

“It didn’t have anything to do with you.” Seb scoffed. “No, seriously. The three of us all made mistakes, some of them really big ones. But you? No. You were the good thing that came out of a complete disaster.”

“Maybe,” Seb said, but he didn’t look convinced.

“I’ll tell you as much as you need to hear it,” Robert said.

“Does dad... Aaron… does he prefer Annie?”

“No,” Robert said. “Of course he doesn’t. He spoils her because she’s our little girl, but no. You must remember what it was like when you were younger. You had Aaron wrapped around your little finger, and you knew it. Ganged up on me often enough.” Seb laughed, because that was so obviously true.

“Where is Annie?”

“At Vic’s,” Robert said. “We wanted you on your own when we told you.”

“Have you opened Lachlan’s letter?”

“No,” Robert said. “It’s for you.” Seb picked up the letter, thinking hard.

“I do want to know what he’s got to say,” Seb said, and Robert nodded, understanding.

“Then open it.”


End file.
